The most helpful favourable review

The most helpful critical review

5.0 out of 5 starsPhilips Power Touch
Absolutely brilliant, best electric shave I have ever had. Excellent value for money. My strongest recommend to anyone and everyone

Published on 14 Dec. 2011 by Bri

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 starsWill not shave me
Having used an electric shaver for 30 years (different) ones this is the worst I have ever bought after a week the blades were blunt and would not shave me very disappointed considering it was a Phillips shaver

My dad has been seriously ill and was unable to stand to shave for any length of time. Saddened by his determination to continue, but lack of strength I searched for something that would help him out. He has weak hands/grip and the shape of this model means he can hold it comfortably and continue to do this one simple thing for himself. Rechargeable is a bonus as he doesn't need to be in the bathroom... just the comfort of his own armchair. A perfect product for his situation and at a very good price... He has to have alot of help now with day to day care, but with this little gadget, at least he can do his own personal grooming! One of the best things I could have bought him!

This Powertouch PT720 is one ugly razor to behold, with it's yawning black chasm of rubber incorporating the click on/off button [cynics might say it's to entice you further up the Philishave price ladder]. However the actual click button is better than previous efforts on Philishaves I have owned, probably due to the use of that black rubber. I much preferred the original slide on/off switch of earlier Philishaves, but at least this button doesn't accidently click off in use [Speed XL] or feel a bit hard to push [RQ-1180]. It may still be a problem if you have very limited movement in your hands though. In use this Philishave razor shaves my face very well, better in fact than my 4 year old Speed XL Philishave razor that cost well over £100 - this is simply due to the fact that this razor has new heads and a new battery [Philishave recommend you replace the heads every two years, but they are quite expensive so few bother that often]. All Philishaves have versions of the lift&cut rotary razor heads, and all seem to dry shave similarly well.

So you get a classic cordless dry Philishave quality shave for a budget price, and the battery lasts a decent 40 minutes - so why pay more? Well the Li-ion battery recharge time is 8 hours, not just 1 hour with the more expensive sibling PT860, and worse still there's no flip-out beard trimmer as with the PT860. The latter is a problem for me, I use the flip-out trimmers a lot for sideburns and the odd long hair. The 8h recharge is less of a problem about the house as you can simply plug the recharge cable in and use the razor off the mains [or you can recharge for '3 minutes' and get enough to finish your cordless shave]. There's no charge cradle required. The razor has a single LED that flashes red or green to inform you of battery life/charge status. Despite the raft of cool LEDs on more expensive Philishaves these don't actually help any better, the bank of LEDs just plummet to zero at the last minute - so the PT720's single one is just as informative. The razor head pops up easily via a release and hinge, and cleaning is the usual quick daily brush out [brush & plastic head protector supplied], with an occasional head dismantle serious brush out every week or so.

The secret of the standard dry Philishave is always shave before you wash in morning, as the oiliness of the skin is essential for a smooth shave - in fact if you try using a normal Philishave directly after washing and drying the razor head tends to 'stick' on the face. Plus you have to shave daily, the rotary blades don't like long hairs. If you are new to Philishavers it does take a month or two for you and your skin to adapt to any new shaving system [I love the Philishaves system, but some never get on with it, preferring wetshaves or Braun/Remington type foils]. The razor isn't water proof so it's dry shaving only - no problem for me I've used the dry Philishave system for 40 years since 14 years old as I want to avoid all the wet shaving palaver [my thick black stubbly beard and skin really doesn't take to wet shaving with a blade]. Plus the water proof Philishave razors can't run off the mains when the batteries flat like this model. In use the razor works like any Philishave - the Philishave pamphlet recommends circular shaving motions only, but sometimes pushing the razor head straight against the lie of the stubble also works well and hold the skin taught as with wet shaving [for some reason only the Philips website mentions this].

This PT720 is light but very bulky, larger than any other Philishave I have owned, and I actually quite liked that - I found I could grip it in different ways to push it against the skin and found this less aching on the arms/wrist. So the 'easy-grip' claims are correct for my medium sized hands. I also like to push the Philishave quite hard against the skin and this razor allows that with its classic solid fixed head [the waterproof versions have a lighter detachable head that prevent this]. Although not waterproof the head can be washed under the tap to remove bristles, but this is a lot messier than the dry brush method I always use.

The only thing I would add is that the language free pamphlet is pretty awful, as it covers every razor in the range and decrypting the charge cycle info and symbols is quite challenging, but as there's not many features on the razor there's not much else to learn. There isn't any travel case supplied, so search out a cheap zip case for storage in the bathroom - before you locate one you might want to keep a brown paper bag over the shaver head [did I mention the razor was ugly].

So a perfectly functional dry Philishave electric razor and more than adequate for any Philishave fans. The lack of a trimmer counts heavily against it for me [which forces me towards the PT860 which includes one]. And those that travel a lot will find the 8h charge cycle unacceptable [again the PT860 offers a preferable 1 hour charge cycle as well]. But for a dry Philishave razor about the home, this PT720 does the business of shaving as well as far more expensive Philishave models and comes with a two year guarentee, so for that reason it is very good value, 4*. However also check out last years discontinued upmarket Philishave models, as these are often on offer heavily discounted on Amazon and may offer identical features and shave quality to the PT860 for the lower price of this PT720.

Having used an electric shaver for 30 years (different) ones this is the worst I have ever bought after a week the blades were blunt and would not shave me very disappointed considering it was a Phillips shaver

Easy to handle - important for an oldie - so smooth you would not notice it's shaving at all.Some have worried about time to recharge - not a real problem in everyday use. There is no sign of it running down during four or five shaves without connecting to the charger.Easy to wash the head under the tap.Connecting to the charger is really easy - just remember its the smooth side of the plug on top. And there's a flashing green light until fully charged.Although this model does not have a trimmer, it cleans hair from the sides and back of the neck with ease.There's something quaint about using a rotary shaver - it seems to work in all directions and crinkles the skin as it lifts lifts the hairs.The rotary shaver seems to have been a later invention than the Remingtons and Brauns which I have been using hitherto. I remember trying a single headed version just after the war (WWII that is) and it was not much use, but this triple header is quite a different story.Yes - this is a rave review and I send my congratulations to Philips and the late Prof. Alexandre Horowitz, born to 'parents of East European Jewish origin, the inventor..For an interesting insight into the niceties of shaving, do have look at the Wikipedia page 'Shaving in Judaism' and the fashion in which Horowitz succeeded in working round the prohibition of shaving, at least to the satisfaction of some of the clan. The single headed Philishave was still being made at Eindhoven even during the German occupation!I hope this will be my last ever shaver - its a real beauty, with an elegantly designed transmission system that give the three heads remarkable flexibility - they seem to loat over th skin.If you need any more persuading - just look at the price!

after my last philips shaver which i had long time.i find the pt720 which i have onlyhad a couple of weeks now very poorly made i wish now i had my old shaver repaired it was better by far more robustly made and a lot easyer to clean.

I can't criticise the effectiveness of this shaver, because it is actually very good. It's comfortable, quick, and easy to maintain. However, it's a good deal bulkier than most Philips rotary head shavers, and does not have any advanced functions e.g charge remaining, self clean etc). Consequently, it's a lot cheaper. The biggest downside is the recharge time - 8 hours, and that only gives you approx 30 minutes of shaving time (Philips claim 40, but I haven't managed to get that). So, this is a good entry level model, and you can clean it under the tap. However, I would advise caution here, because having used Philips so-called waterproof shavers for many years,they have been known to leak and short out the battery and/or motors. I have had 3 replaced under warranty. Not bad for the price, or for a first shaver, but I'll stick with my Philips self clean system model.

This is a great value shaver, much better than dearer versions that have extra facilities. It gives a real close shave and I couldnt recommend it more highly. Get it, you will not regret it. Brian McCauley

I last had an electric shaver years ago, it was a well known brand but it was awkward to use. The bathroom had to have an electical point for shavers (not always available) and it never seemed to provide a close shave. So ever since I've been a confirmed wet shaver prefering blades to foils (or whatever they're called these days). Anyway I thought I'd give this a try, and despite my initial reservations I'm pleasantly surprised.When I first held it the shaver felt quite light, almost nothing to it, whereas my old one from years ago felt quite substantial. But I charged it up and away I went.Now that's a great thing, no reliance on a power cable, our bathroom doesn't have an electrical point so that's a big plus (see how behind the times I am with these things I guess power cables are nearly a thing of the past!!). I started it up and I have to say I thought it sounded a bit cheap and ricketty - I was expecting a deep hummmmmm like my old one, but no not at all it's a light buzz. Anyway I started and wasn't so impressed with the shave, afterwards my chin still felt stubbly so I went over again...and then finished off with a wet razor.BUT I've used it many times since, in fact everyday since I got it - which for someone who shaves maybe once every couple of days, and has done for years, is a total revelation. The more I've used it, the better I've got at using it and I'll hold my hands up it gives A GREAT SHAVE. At a push I'd say I could probably get closer with my old wet shaving but it would take a lot longer and involve more messing about whereas this is so convenient to use half the time I just pick it up on a whim, and no more cuts or shaving rash!The shaver is dead easy to clean, you can open it up and rinse it under a tap as it's waterproof around the shaving heads area, plus it comes with a little brush to get right between the shaving heads. Brilliant.The only minus I'd say is that it doesn't have a trimming option for sideburns e.t.c. but this is a minor quibble and if you desperately need one then the model above this has that option anyway.So yeah...well worth a look at and if it can convert an old stick in the mud like me then it's gotta be good.